Actor Rifaat Torbey in his house in Bayada, north of Beirut, on May 27, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'orient-Le Jour)
An exemplary Shakespearean actor, a tutelary figure of Lebanese theater for over half a century, Rifaat Torbey received the Lebanese Order of Merit from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This was a first in the country's history: no Lebanese artist had ever been honored with the highest national distinction.The tribute was paid following the performance of "Hamlet, The Mad Prince," a political and existential reinterpretation of Shakespeare's masterpiece, directed by Lina Abiad based on the dramatic vision of the late Gérard Avédissian. Another first: the play was performed at the Grand Serail, a symbol of executive authority, never before opened to a theatrical creation.L'Orient-Le Jour met with the actor at his retreat in Bayada, north of Beirut, where he lives surrounded by canvases offered by artist friends, a...
An exemplary Shakespearean actor, a tutelary figure of Lebanese theater for over half a century, Rifaat Torbey received the Lebanese Order of Merit from Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This was a first in the country's history: no Lebanese artist had ever been honored with the highest national distinction.The tribute was paid following the performance of "Hamlet, The Mad Prince," a political and existential reinterpretation of Shakespeare's masterpiece, directed by Lina Abiad based on the dramatic vision of the late Gérard Avédissian. Another first: the play was performed at the Grand Serail, a symbol of executive authority, never before opened to a theatrical creation.L'Orient-Le Jour met with the actor at his retreat in Bayada, north of Beirut, where he lives surrounded by canvases offered by artist friends, a...
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